Milking device.



PATENTED FEB. 5, 1907- Li G. HARPER.

MILKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE s. 1906.

T0 [1]] 211710712, it mwy concern.-

LEWIS G. HARPER, OF WEST OHESTER PENNSYLVANIA. V

MILKING DEVIGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 1907.

Application filed June 8,1966. Serial No. 320.799.

Be it known that I, Lnwrs G. HARPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Chester, in the county of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Milking Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a milking device having a yieldable structure to readily conform to the contour of a teat and of a soft nature to avoid injury to the latter, and also embodying a shut-off means readily operative to close the upper portion of the teat just.

prior to the grasping of the teat by the remaining yielding structure.

This invention constitutes an improvement on that disclosed by my application filed November 14, 1905, Serial No. 287,275, and allowed December 29, 1905.

The object of the improvement is to prevent the milk drawn down in the teats from being forced upwardly intothe udder',-and thus render the yieldable structure arranged to grasp the teat or exert a uniformity of pressure thereon effective in relieving the teat of all the lllllli which. has been drawn downwardly thereinto, and thereby also obviate injury to the cow.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a milking device embodying the features of the invention and showing the yieldable structure and remaining parts for cooperating with one teat. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectionof the device. Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing a part of the supporting-frame removed and illustrating the operation of the yieldable or grasping structure and the shutoff means, the shut-off means having been actuated to close against theupper part of the teat. Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal section through a part of the apparatus, showing a modification.

Similar numerals of reference are employed toindicate conesponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates a frame, which may he of any preferred construction and dimensions to acconuuodate the apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings the apparatus is shown equipped with means for operation with one test only. It will be under stood that this means maybe duplicated or the yieldable teatgrasping structure'increased to engage two, three, or four teats. As'the increase of the gras in}; structure would not modify the details, ilut all of such devices be precisely the same in arrangement, only one teat-engaging means has been shown. fr'ame supports a crank-shaft 2, which will be provided with as'many cranks as there are yieldable teat-engaging structures supported by the frame, only onecrank being shown in the present instance in addition to an auxiliary crank '3, standing at a different angle with respect to the main crank for the, yieldable teat-engaging struzture and adapted to operate the improvedteat-shut-off means, which willbe more fully hereinafter specified.

As in my application Serial No. 287,275, hereinbefore'rei'erred to, the yieldable teatengaging structure embodies a soft lining-4, surroun ed by yieldable bands 5, secured to a head 6, fastened to the members of the frame 1. Surrounding the soft lining 4, between the bands 5, are encircling pressurebands 7. These pressure-bands 7 are connected to a slide-bar 8 through the medium of .a holding-rod or analogous device 9, the slide-bar having its terminals secured to guide-rods 10, movable in guide-eyes or analogous devices 11, secured to the opposite members of the frame 1. The slide-bar 8 is attached to the main crank of the shaft 2 by connecting-rods 12, the said shaft The having an operating-handle 13 for manual manipulation, or in some instances said handle may be attached to mechanism con trolled by a motor. As the crank-shaft 2 is operated in a proper direction the slide-bar 8 will-be drawn inward away from the head 6, and consequently the pressure-bands 7 will be caused to closely engage and compress the soft lining 4, as in the structure disclosed in my application aforesaid.

The improvement embodies a shut-off means for engaging the upper part of the teat, the engagement of this shut-off means taking place just prior to the compression of the bands 7 of the soft lining 4, so as to hold the milk down in the teat and prevent it from being forcedupwardly into the udder when the compress1on-bands 7 are drawn taut around the lining. This shut-off means in the present instance consists of a plunger 15, movable through an opening 16 in the uper extremity of the head 6 and having a ead 17, which is held in alinement and contacts with the upper end of the soft lining 4,

close to the juncture of the teat with the udder. The plunger has a reciprocating rod 18 attached thereto and provided with arr-offset 19 to clear the bar 8 and adjacent a parts of the slide devices for operating theprcssure or compression bands 7, The reciprocating rod 18. is attached to the crank 3 oi the sha.t 1, and, as befoi'e indicated, thesaid crank stands at. such angle with respect to the main crank of the shaft for opsure of the head 1'7 ofthe plunger 15is'simultaneously relaxed and the milk from theudder is permitted to be drawn down into the teat tor a successive similar operation. it will be seen that the milkin device operates precisely like the human land in pursuin the milking operation. In manual milking operations the index-finger of the hand is first drawn inwardly ti ht a ainst the upper portion oi the teat, W ile tie re maining fingers and the thumb close over the teat below and force out the milk that may be dravi n down from the udder.

. instead of having the head 17 of the lunger 15 press against the lining i, the atter may have an openin 19 therein, as shown by Fig. 4, and throug this opening the plunger 15 has movement, and the head 17 may be brought in direct contact with the teat:

The improved device overcomes the many disadvantages found to exist in milking-machines, particularlywhere compressed air is used or other motive means which institutes a severe down-drawing strain on the udder and ultimately resulting in an injury to the. cow. In applying the improved device the same operation is. ursued as disclosed in my application herein heiore noted and consists in slipping the tubular portion of the milking device upwardly over the teat, and the compression 01 said linin then ensues and will be continued until the cow is thoroughly milked.

The use of a number of milking devices with one frame will enable an operator to engage all the teats of a cow and ursue the usual alternating pressure on suc 1 teats by disposing the cranks of the shaft atproper angles or at quarters.

It is proposed to modify the details of construction. as Well as the dimensions and prothe invention,

ter, and a shut-off means engaging the body and operating prior to the said flexible means.

2. A milking device having a compres sible tubular body and compressingmeans. passing around the said body, and a shut-o means engaging the body and operating t9 close the upper part of the teat prior to the operation of the compressing means.

3. A milking device having a compressible 1 tubular body, and a teat-shut-ofi means en-" gaging the upper portion of the body to shut 1 off thecorrespondingpart of the teat and operative prior to and during the compression of the said bcdy.

4. A milking device having a resilient compressiblebcd compressing means around the body, an a shut-off device cooperating withthe body to closethe teat prior to the operation of the compressing means.

5; A milking device having a tubular body to engage a teat, a slidable shut-off means for engaging the upper portion of the body and teat to close the latter, and means for compressing the said body subsequent to'the operation of the shut-off means, the movementof'the said shut-off being independent of the com ression of the body. I

6. A mil ing device having a compressible tubular body, means for compressing said body, and a plunger enga ing the upper portion of the said body to 0 use the upper part-- of the teat prior to the operation of the means for compressing the bbdy, the plunger moving independently of the compressing movementof the body.

7. In a milking device, the combination With a teat-compressing tubular means, of a teat-closing means operating prior to the said compressing means, the said teat-closingmeans moving independently of the teatcomprcssmg means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS e. HARPER.

Witnesses;

HOWARD S. GRoFF, Jos. H. BALDWIN. 

